There has been a continuing need for a shelf support strip that may be rapidly applied, is economical to manufacture and which permits the ready applicability of shelves thereon without use of tools. The prior art is replete with many different types of shelf support brackets, hangers, strips and various other devices for supporting a shelf between two upright parallel end panels. So far as is known, the most pertinent prior art constitutes U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,530, issued to the inventor of the subject invention.
As in U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,530 one of the important objects of the present invention is to provide a shelf support strip that is wholly fabricated in a single operation from a synthetic resinous material.
Many conventional shelf support means utilize two or three different parts. One of such parts frequently takes the form of an elongated strip, pairs of which are securely fastened to opposite upstanding end panels in a shelf assembly, the elongated strips being apertured for application of a second member which is adjusted in height along the length of the strip so as to position the shelfs. The shelf support member applied to the apertured strip constitutes a separate element and therefore is not integral with the strip on which it is supported and has the tendency to introduce a weak link into the shelf support system. Accordingly, another object of the invention is to provide a shelf support strip in which all parts thereof except the screw or staple that attaches the strip to the shelf support end panel is integral and formed in a single unit.
Most conventional shelf support brackets and strips utilizing movable or adjustable shelf hanger units, generally are applied to an apertured strip so that the hanger unit may be adjusted in height depending upon the height of books, for instance, that might be stacked on a shelf. The present invention eliminates such extra and separate parts and provides a shelf support member integral with the shelf support base strip and formed in such a way that a shelf may be inserted below a shelf support member and may be raised upwardly so as to initially pivot the shelf support member to permit passage of the shelf, and which then pivots outwardly and provides a support surface beneath the bottom surface of the shelf so that the shelf may be properly positioned for support.
It has been found that a shelf support member that pivots on a "live" hinge to permit passage of a shelf into proper position is an advantage over the type of collapsible shelf support member taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,530. Accordingly, another object of the present invention is the provision of a shelf support member that is connected to a shelf support strip by an integral "live" hinge and which when pivoted into shelf supporting position abuts a cross member on the shelf support strip in such a way that most of the weight of the shelf and its contents results in a compressive force being applied to the shelf support member and to the shelf support strip cross member against which it abuts.
In one aspect of the instant invention it has been found that added carrying capacity is provided when the shelf support member is provided with an upstanding flange that comes into contact with the end of the shelf when the shelf is in supported position. Accordingly, another object of the invention is to provide a shelf support strip incorporating a shelf support member that is integrally attached to the shelf support strip by means of a "live" hinge that permits the shelf support member to pivot toward and away from the end of an associated shelf, and which provides a flange member adapted to engage the associated end of a shelf when in supported position to thus increase the load carrying characteristics of the shelf support member.
In another aspect of the invention, it has been found that if the shelf support member connected integrally as it is to the shelf support strip is provided with a projecting flange that engages a rib or web on the shelf support strip when the shelf support member is in shelf-supporting position, additional load carrying capacity is provided to the assembly. Accordingly, a still further object of the invention is the provision of a shelf support strip incorporating an integral shelf support member connected to the shelf support strip by a "live" hinge, and which provides a shelf support surface associated with a projecting flange adapted to engage the associated web or rib of the shelf support strip when the shelf support member is in extended shelf-supporting position.
The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be apparent from the following description and the drawings. It is to be understood however that the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described, since it may be embodied in various forms within the scope of the appended claims.